Frank Tyson dies in hospital, aged 85

Frank Tyson dies in hospital, aged 85
27 September 2015

England Test legend Frank ‘Typhoon’ Tyson has passed away on the Gold Coast, aged 85. Tyson, whose career with England spanned 1954-59, took 76 wickets in 17 Tests at the remarkable average of 18.56. A right-arm paceman who played 244 first-class matches during a decorated career with Northamptonshire, Tyson earned a reputation as one of the fastest bowlers in the history of the game – a standing endorsed by the late Richie Benaud, who claimed he was the quickest bowler he had ever seen.

The Englishman spent the latter part of his life in south-east Queensland, and died in hospital on the Gold Coast. Tyson was the hero of England’s successful 1954-55 Ashes campaign, taking 25 wickets across three Tests in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide to terrorise the Australians and propel the tourists to a 3-1 series win. “We never thought the series was lost even after being beaten by an innings in the 1954-55 Brisbane Test,” Tyson recalled during an interview with Cricinfo in 2013. “We went back to our hotel, Lennons, and Len (Hutton) called for champagne all round. ‘Don't worry’, he told us all, ‘we may have lost this Test match, but we're going to beat them. This is the first time I've ever been with an English side where we have the quicker bowlers’.

“He was convinced our best was to come, and it was.” Like many fast bowlers, Tyson was a regular victim of injury throughout his career, and they eventually took their toll to the point that he was retired from the first-class arena by the age of 30.